Mercy Magnified, Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
HAving thus conſidered of the Prodigals deliberation in general, we now come to look upon the motives themſelves, by which he argued himſelf into a reſolution to return to his father; and theſe are two, which do comprize under them in general, the two main heads of conſideration; the one reſpects his father, the other himſelf: The order of them is Rhetorically propounded, where the firſt argument is laſt placed, in the deliberation: for doubtleſs mans neceſſity firſt drives him, or elſe God's goodneſs would never draw him: Proud man will live at home as long as he can. The motives are joyned together, becauſe neither alone will do, but both together are needful to make a full perſwaſive to a Sinner to return to God. Man's miſery throughly apprehended, without the diſcovery of Gods mercy, would drive to deſpair; and Gods mercy propounded to a man that is inſenſible of his need of it, would be ſlighted and refuſed: But where theſe two meet in one, the former drives a man out of himſelf, and the latter draws him to God. I ſhall endeavour to ſpeak of them ſeverally.
1. The firſt motive is taken from the conſideration of his own condition, in theſe words, I periſh with hunger. As the word bread, is Synechdochically uſed to expreſs all manner of neceſſary ſupplyes, ſo is hunger for every want of what is needful for the comfort of man's life; and here, in a ſpiritual ſenſe, it intends the abſence of all that might ſave the ſoul from deſtruction: Hunger alſo is, by a Metonymy of the effect, put for famine, which produceth hunger, by taking away that which ſhould prevent it. The words expreſs the deep diſtreſs which the young man was reduced unto, ſenſibly apprehended by him, and is Emphatically ſet forth. 1. By the cauſe of it, hunger or famine, he hath nothing whereon to live (foreign deficere) there was a failing, or want of proviſion. 2. By the effect of it, ſenſibly felt, and perſonally applyed, I periſh. The word in our text is of an harſh ſignification, the beſt ſenſe of it is, to die; but it ſignifies not death barely, but Destruction; it is q. d. this hunger will certainly deſtroy me; I have no hopes to live in this famine; I might here obſerve.
DOCT. I. The Soul of Man, without ſutable ſpiritual ſupplies muſt needs periſh.
There is a natural conſequence of dying, upon a famine, if no relief come; and if the ſoul have nothing to live upon, it muſt needs die for ever, which might learn us.
USE, 1. Their folly who take care only for their bodies, and neglect their ſouls: and truly every unregenerate man is ſuch an one; he takes heed to provide for the feeding and clothing of his body, but layes in no proviſion for his better part: and ſo much the greater is this folly, in as much as ten thouſand bodily deaths are not comparable to the death or loſs of a ſoul, Mat. 16. 26.
USE, 2. To teach us to prize the means and ſupplies which God affords for the relief of our ſouls: That is a terrible famine mentioned, Amos 8. 11, 12. Not of bread, nor of waters, but of hearing the word of God. Deprecate it as the ſoreſt evil: And having ſuch proviſion made for your ſouls as God is pleaſed to give you in a place of ſuch plenty of the means of grace, labour to love, to prize, to feed and live upon it; ſtarve not in the midſt of plentty, leſt you be found wilful ſelf-murderers. But I ſhall not inſiſt on this, the main thing follows, therefore.
DOCT. II. In order to the converſion of a ſinner, God makes him deeply apprehenſive that he is periſhing with hunger.
We muſt carefully diſtinguiſh between the reality of a mans ſtate, and the ſenſe that he bears of that ſtate: The famine was all over that land, but none feels the diſtructiveneſs of it but this poor Prodigal: All mankind, whiles in a ſtate of nature are famiſhing creatures, but it is but ſome few among them that feel it. the reſt periſh inſenſibly.
The work we are here ſpeaking of, is that which Divines call a loſt ſtate, and it comprehends in it the firſt part of preparatory humiliation, which is properly the beating of a ſinner wholly off from himſelf, and all that is in himſelf, in point of ſufficiency. In the Explication of the Doctrine we may conſider, 1. Some thing of the nature of this work. 2. The neceſſity of it in order to Converſion.
1. Concerning the nature of this work, of what it is for a Soul to be ſenſibly periſhing with hunger, and how he is brought unto this ſenſe, obſerve; The Spirit of God raiſeth in him a manifeſt and irreſiſtable conviction of three things, which laid together do reduce him to this exigency or diſtreſs; and all this is the work of the Spirit in the means, for; all mens conditions being really one and the ſame by nature, why elſe ſhould not all that enjoy the ſame means of Conviction, be alike apprehenſive of it, but the ſpirit imprints it upon ſome and not others? Now the things are theſe;
1, He kindles in him an eager and pinching hunger: note that beſides that ſpiritual and gracious hunger of the Soul after righteouſneſs mentioned, Mat. 5. 6. there is alſo a preparatory hunger, which is oppreſſive to, and grievouſly diſtreſſeth the ſoul, ſee Iſai. 65. 13. My Servants ſhall eat but ye ſhall be hungry: Now this hunger is made up of theſe two things, Viz.
1. A deep apprehenſion of diſtreſſing miſery lying upon him, and making his ſpirits to fail, and heart to faint. God opens the Sinners eyes to ſee and find that which before he neither knew nor believed; that the wrath of God is upon him, that he is a curſed creature, that he hath loſt all grace, and is in danger of the miſeries of Hell: he finds his Soul to be in a condition extreamly dangerous, expoſed to the executions of divine Vengeance, he now believes becauſe he feels, that wrath is upon him, ſees a Sword of vengeance drawn againſt him.
2. An earneſt longing to be rid of, and free from this diſtreſs: as the hungry man longs that he may have ſome food; ſo doth the Sinner wiſh earneſtly that his miſery may be eaſed, the cauſe taken away, and the wrath of God impending, removed: he is fearfully amazed at the apprehenſions of the anger of God, he cannot tell how to bear it, or to be able to endure it, and fain he would, if there were any poſſibility, be delivered, Iſai. 33. 14. Who among us ſhall dwell with everlaſting burnings? although he doth not know whither to go in particular for a redreſs, yet in general he ſaith▪ Who ſhall ſhew me good? yea he cannot ſatisfie himſelf, he is reſtleſs, his ſoul is diſquieted and filled with tumultuations, theſe terrors make him afraid. 2. He makes him to find and diſcover that there is no relief to be had in any of theſe wayes and courſes which he hath been taking; and this makes his hunger to be the more diſtroſſing: when an hungry ſtomach meets with a well furniſhed Table, it is a pleaſure to have a good appetite; but when hunger and penury meet together, this is tormenting: When the cravings of the ſoul are inſatiable, & there are no ſupplyes to be gotten for it, this is terrible, ſuch is the condition of the ſoul now, where it thought to have meat, there it can find nothing but husks, and that both,
1. In the world, in which he formerly truſted, and in the enjoyment whereof he was wont to ſay to his ſoul, eat, drink, and be merry, for thou haſt goods laid up for many years. This world cannot ſatisfie him now; it will not ſtill the cry of Conſcience, it will not comfort him againſt the anger of God, and fears of hell, Riches cannot profit him in the day of wrath. He cannot feed and refreſh himſelf upon its fair promiſes, and gloſſing inſinuations-It will not eaſe his troubled mind; but like Belſhazzar, he cryes out in the midſt of his cups and companions; his hiding place of deceit is waſht away, and he ſees that the world is empty, and void, and waſt, Nah. 1. 10.
2. In himſelf, and his own duties and righteouſneſs: He was wont to pleaſe himſelf in them, and feed himſelf with vain hopes, thinking to appear with them, and hold up his head before God; but now he finds that theſe will not ſuffice, they cannot atone God, appeaſe his anger, turn away his fury, or procure him happineſs: They are unprofitable, he hath now no more ſelf-ſufficiency, he cannot do what the Law requires, nor pay the debts he ows it, nor pick up any reſolution out of his beſt ſervices, Conſcience now tells him all this is nothing, Num. 17. 12, 13.
3. He cauſeth him to draw this poſitive and ſad concluſion, that in this condition he muſt certainly periſh: He is now ſhaken out of all his vain hopes, fond expectations, wherewith he was wont to feed his fancy, and cheriſh his ſoul: There is now nothing but miſery, hell and deſtruction in his eyes and thoughts: The Law is rigorous, and will be ſatisfied; God is holy and will be glorified; he is by this Law condemned, and hath no ſatisfaction to make to it; the world is a priceleſs thing, and if he had it, it would not be taken in exchange for a ſoul; and thus, between longing and deſpair he is ready to faint and die: This whole condition is amply deſcribed to us in apt and pertinent metaphors, Iſa. 41. 17. The poor and needy ſeek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirſt.
2. Touching the neceſſity of the work in order to converſion, we may obſerve.
1. That converſion is the turning of a ſinner from ſin to God: Now Sin is properly the relyance of the creature upon ſomething elſe which ſtands in competition with, and oppoſition to God, which thereforeit muſt leave, or elſe it's impoſſible that it ſhould come to him: he that goes to one contrary, muſt in ſo doing go away from the other; the Apoſtle oppoſeth theſe two, 1 Tim. 6. 15. That they truſt not in uncertain riches, but in the living God.
2. In Converſion the ſpirit of God comes into the Soul, and fills it with his Grace; in order to which filling it is needful that the Soul be firſt emptied, for as long as a Man is full of himſelf, of the World, of his carnal hopes, of his legal righteouſneſs, there is no room for the ſpirit of God, hence he comes to the poor and needy, Iſai. 41. 17.
3. In active Converſion, there is a voluntary motion of the Soul: the will of man is that which doth firſt renounce Sin, Satan and World, and lay hold upon Chriſt; now a voluntary action is the action of a reaſonable creature, applying himſelf to his object, not upon compulſion, nor by the force of inſtinct, but by the inclination of his own mind; ſo that as he doth it willingly, he alſo (and therefore) doth it rationally, or upon ſome apprehended grounds: and from this it will appear, how needful it is that a Sinner be made thus ſenſible in order to his Converſion: For,
1. Man by nature is a proud Creature, and loth to go or be beholden to any other as long as he hath any hopes to do well of himſelf: This appeared before, in the conſideration of the ſordid courſe the needy Prodigal took to ſupply his want.
2. Man is naturally moſt oppoſite and contrary to God, and will not (be ſure) come to him until he be driven: It is very evident, that he will try every way, turn every ſtone, uſe all means to do well otherwayes, before he will betake himſelfe to God: the Prodigal will live meanly, fare hardly, ſcramble, and debaſe himſelf if that will do rather than return to his father's houſe: as long as a ſinner hath any hopes that he can make a ſhift to keep up himſelf from ſinking, he flyes not unto God: (the Raven; if he can have carrion to light upon and feed of, returns not to the Ark:) for till now he hath no need of God: A man muſt: be ſick before he will ſend for a Phyſitian, and dangerouſly ſick, heart ſick, before he will ſend for one whom he hates, other Phyſitians muſt firſt fail him.
4. In Converſion there muſt be a whole reliance upon God, and that muſt preſuppoſe an litter rejection of all other helps and props, Hoſ. 14 3. Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, &c. Now man hath naturally ſuch an opinion of himſelf, and of the creature, that till he be throughly convinced of its emptineſs, he will not forſake it, and till that he cannot cloſe truly with God, who will not be a divided truſt, or part glory with another, Iſa. 42. 8.
USE, 1. For Information, here we ſee,
1. The reaſon why Jeſus Chriſt and his ſalvation are no more welcome and acceptable to the moſt of men, and ſo why the work of converſion is ſo rare and infrequent even there where the Goſpel comes with moſt clearneſs; it is becauſe the moſt of men have yet ſomething of their own to live upon; they have not ſpent all, they are not nipt with the famine. Though all natural men are prodigals, yet they have not as yet made away with their portion, they ſtill have ſomething to ſupport them; they do not feel themſelves poor periſhing creatures; but are like Laodicea, Rev. 3. 17. Rich and want for nothing. Tell them of the riches of grace in Chriſt, the full fupplyes that are with him, that he hath where withal to ſatisfie the hungry ſoul, what care they? they need it not, the are not hungry and pincht; the moſt of the children of men think they can do ſufficiently without Chriſt, therefore they ſay to him depart from us, Job 21. 14. The Goſpel invitations are preſented to poor, blind, ſick, periſhing ſinners, and therefore men do not take it to themſelves, they hope they are not ſuch: and therefore, till we ſee men diſtreſſed, till we find them deſpairing, till we hear them crying out ſenſibly of their woful miſery, we muſt not expect they ſhould do any other then complement with Jeſus Chriſt, and, with them that were invited to the Goſpel feaſt, Mat. 22. to frame excuſes, and uſe delayes.
2. What need there is of preaching the Law, or legal truths in the dayes of the Goſpel: It is true, Chriſt is the end of the Law, and Chriſt only ought to be preached: i. e. as the ultimate ſcope of all Divine truths: But, as the Law was of old, ſo it is ſtill, a School-maſter to Chriſt, i. e. to make men ſee and feel their need of Chriſt: And truly, without it men will never give him that true welcome which he deſerves in their ſouls: This is the right Glaſs in which man is made to ſee his own condition, and to underſtand his miſery; this is it that diſcovers man to be a bank-rupt, the world an empty, hungry place; this diſplayes man's ſin, Gods Juſtice, and our own utter inability, and all this is the very ground-work of bringing us to feel our ſelves periſhing: God will humble ſinners before he will ſave them; he will make them come to Chriſt for need, and not in complement. They are therefore ſtrangers from the methods of God's grace, that brand this with the aſperſion of legal and oppoſite to the Goſpel, whereas it is neceſſarily introductive.
3. The uſefulneſs of affliction in order to the converſion of ſinners, and the reaſon why God is many times pleaſed to lay theſe chains upon them; why they are very ſutable for the helping forward this great affair in the ſoul: Hence when God would do Ephraim good, he afflicts him, Hoſ. 5. 15. with 6. 1. and ſee for this alſo, Job 37. 16. &c. Man is high minded, and ſelf-conceited, when he hath his health, ſtrength, wealth and honour in the world; he is too good to be ſpoken to: but affliction depreſſeth him, it helps to bore his ear, it puts him upon conſideration, which we heard is the firſt ſtep to converſion: Affliction is a School in which a ſinner is ſet to ſtudy, here is his folly and vain truſt anatomized; here his miſery begins to appear, and he finds how he hath deceived his own ſoul. Not that affliction of and by it ſelf will open a blind eye, or ſoften an hard heart: There are many that are hardned, and made worſe by it, but when God is pleaſed to ſet in with it, it hath that in it which is of uſe to help man to ſee ſomething of himſelf: Be not then angry with afflictions.
4. That a ſoul ſenſible of, groaning under, and ready to dy by reaſon of the oppreſſion of his ſpiritual diſtreſs and want, is not far from the Kingdom of Heaven: I know their is a deſpair through the weight of horrour, that ſets a ſoul further from good, and drives him to hell with violence, ſuch was Cain's and Judas's. And truly, ſeparate this ſtate from the ſweet invitations of the Goſpel, and it is the cleareſt Emblem of hell upon earth that can be: But yet in the Goſpel-way Chriſt is near to ſuch a ſoul to tender himſelf to him, Iſa. 4. 17. Yea his ſpecial invitations are to ſuch, and all encouragement is ſet before them, Iſa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirſteth, come to the waters. Mat. 11. 28. Come to me ye that are weary and heavy laden. Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirſt come. Till it comes to this, our hopes for man are built but upon general propoſitions, God may call them, it is poſſible, becauſe they live under the Goſpel, and under the means, &c. But now there is hope that God is doing the work: And, as when the pain of a travelling woman encreaſeth, there is expectation that ſhe will ere long be delivered, ſo theſe cryes give encouragement, that it will not be long ere Chriſt be formed in ſuch a ſoul.
USE, 2. For Exhortation, let it ſerve to call upon and invite every unregenerate ſinner to ſerious and ſolemn conſideration of this truth, viz. that he is periſhing, ſtarving, famiſhing, dying: It is the ſaddeſt ſight in the world to ſee poor miſerable men and women dying, and they ignorant; dropping every day into hell, becauſe they have nothing to live upon, and yet not conſider. If you ask me who is intended by this periſhing Prodigal; I anſwer, if thou art unconverted thou art the perſon; and that thou mayeſt be convinced of, and made to apprehend it, take into thought theſe things.
1. Thy poor ſoul muſt have ſomething to live upon, or elſe it will periſh everlaſtingly: This is a truth that man little thinks of, hence he cares onoy for his outward man; but it is evident, man is every way a dependent creature; if the ſoul have not ſpiritual food to live on, it muſt needs dy: as the life is loſt without food, ſo is the ſoul loſt without Chriſt, hence called our life. Col. 3. 4.
2. Thou haſt nothing in thy ſelf to live upon, and therefore in thy ſelf art certainly periſhing: Such is the condition of every ſoul out of Chriſt, he is going to deſtruction: Look upon thy ſelf and thou ſhalt find in thee all the ſymptoms of a periſhing creature: all thou hadſt to live upon is ſpent, or, I am ſure, will be ſpent without thy profit: Original righteouſneſs and holineſs thou haſt loſt already, and thy vain and carnal hopes thou wilt loſe ſooner or latter: thou art a law breaker, art under the curſe, ſentenced to dy everlaſtingly; God, in whoſe favour alone is life, is thy Enemy; the Law, in obedience to which thou mighteſt have lived, is broken by thee, and calls for thy deſtruction; thou haſt nothing to redeem thee from the efficacy of it; thou haſt no power to obey it, no price to ſatisfie with for thy violation of it; thou haſt loſt the Image of God, thou haſt loſt the favour of God, thou haſt loſt ſtrength to obey him, thou art faſt bound in cords of vanity, Divine vengeance is purſuing hard after thee, the mouth of the pit is open to receive thee; and who then is ready to periſh, if thou art not?
3. The things which thou ſeekeſt to and relyeſt upon for thy relief, they are not bread: They will not feed and ſupport a dying ſoul: the worlds faireſt banquets are but a ſhew, and have no ſubſtance in them, they are husks, Swines, but not mans meat: Doſt thou truſt in riches? They will not profit in the day of wrath. Doſt thou rely upon friends? They cannot by any means redeem thy ſoul. Doſt thou content thy ſelf in pleaſures? Thou art dead alive. Doſt thou feed thy ſelf with honours? neither they nor thou can abide, but thou art like the beaſts that periſh. Strip thy ſelf out of theſe things▪ for God will elſe ſtrip thee ſhortly; and then ſee what a forlorn eſtate thou art in: Thy hungry ſoul is put off with a ſtone for bread, and for a fiſh, a ſerpent; and all thy hopes here are periſhing hopes, and when they leave thee, thou muſt periſh too.
4. Jeſus Chriſt only hath that bread which can ſatisfie thy hunger, and ſave thy life; but thou art at an everlaſting diſtance from him, thou art in a farr Country a great way off: In particular,
1. Thou art far from having any will or deſire to go to him for it: The unregenerate ſinner, though dying, yet will not come to him for life, Joh. 5. 40. It is the great miſery of ſinful man, that he will dy, Ezek. 33. 11. Why will ye dy? i. e. he will do ſo rather than repent and return to God, and ſeek his grace in his way: There is bread in Egypt, but you will not go thither for it, eternal life is only for comers, but you refuſe to come that you may have it.
2. You are far from having any power or ability to come to Chriſt; that rock, which is the Magazene or Store-houſe of bread for famiſhing ſouls, is out of your reach, hygher than you are, and, without an Almighty arm to lift you up into it, you will ever fall ſhort of it: God muſt draw before ever the ſinner can come: Your Pit, as it hath no water in it, ſo it is deep, and you have no ladder to climb upon, nor legs or hands to aſcend withal, if you had one; thus it is with you, and now what will you do?
3. God is under no engagment or obligation to you, to do this kindneſs for you, viz. to bring you this bread of life to ſave you from famiſhing; nay, he hath many provocations to refuſe ſo to do: You have undone your ſelves, your riot hath brought this poverty upon you; yea, you have been putting of this Grace away from you; you have loved lies and deceits, embraced lying vanities, and hated your own mercies. Think of theſe things, and now ſay whither it is good, a ſafe, a deſireable condition you are in? So are all unconverted ones; let this affect your hearts: One would think it ſhould make mens ſouls dy within them, to think and conſider of the death which they are dying; a death of hunger, the very worſt, and moſt oppreſſing and calamitous ſort of death: Oh that men felt this now! there were then hopes that they might have relief, whiles the bread and water of life are exhibited in Goſpel tenders: but if you will not know nor believe it now, you muſt be made ſenſible of it in a more amazing hour, when you ſhall tire heaven with endleſs and fruitleſs cries, and ſhall not be able by them all to prevail ſo far, as to obtain, in that everlaſting famine, ſo much as one drop of water to quench the heat of your torments.